#as opposed to passive & simply following the path laid by others

[deathsbestgirl]

so i was talking to my friend mc about fate + choice and she verbalized an important distinction for the way i (we) think about fate. most people have an issue with fate because it takes away agency but i don't see it that way. i think you can only see it that way if you see fate as external, instead of something within you. so, as i said, fate and choice are one & the same.

we live in a complicated world so nothing is purely our choice — there are so many variables from mental health to society to weather to politics to trauma/abuse. but we still always have choices. i hope people don't see the state of our world as fated. it's something we all make together, and will hopefully change for the better.

in regards to the x files, i think this was a lesson both mulder & scully were learning through the series. mulder always fighting against fate, scully insisting our choices make our fate. grappling with the external forces of the world, choices made by other people that help shape our lives. partially culminating in season seven as creating their own blueprint for a relationship & life, and not following the paths set out before them by other people (society, their families, csm).

they talk about it so many times. clyde bruckman's final repose, the field where i died, milagro, tithonus, amor fati, all things, the truth, nothing lasts forever and whichever ones i forgot lol

idk what i'm saying anymore but it seems a recurring theme. accepting their choices, embracing their choices, making new choices. understanding their agency.

[soldierwatch]

@deathblssms

A soft puff of air escaped his lungs, the faux annoyance written in evidence along an easy pull at the corners of his lips. Playful muddy brown hues narrowed up at the intense, bright blues looking back at him, a line of sweat increasingly making its way down the blonde’s forehead.

They only trained together when they were pissed at each other. It was a positive way to blow off steam – literally. The past week had been filled with fits of annoyance and frustration from both parties, but their opposing ideals often had that effect. Jack wanted a mission to be seen through one way, and Gabe had methods for getting it completed differently. The deliberate misinterpretations always went down the path of heated disputes and irrational arguments, typically landing them in the training area at the end of the week if tensions were still high.

That happened to be the case, since Jack wasn’t willing to let anything go.

The mission was a success, but the commander still wanted to get an earful in, grumbling and tossing passive but more so aggressive remarks toward Gabe in their debrief. For once, Gabe was contemplating on apologizing due to things almost going wrong, but the more Jack talked and bothered him, his irritation practically grew by the second.

“Feeling’s mutual.” Reyes responded, voice slightly winded from having been pinned down by the other. “But, I took it easy on you. Let you get all of the anger out now so that you wouldn’t be mad at me for another week, had I pinned you first.” Lips tugged up to further his grin, eyes squinting behind the power of the stretch. To be fair, he had just returned from a mission, so yes – he was exhausted. Did he really take it easy? No, he was beaten fair and square, but his pride always clouded his excuses and losses.

it feels GOOD to get his muscles moving--- designed for WAR , the prospect of being seated behind a desk all day WEARS him DOWN--- the chance to spar with gabriel provides enough DANGER & DEMANDS enough mentally + physically  to see him satiated for the time being--- that , & his aggravation has been seen to RISE at all the FRUSTRATION building TENSION between them the past few days ;  it’s been ONE ARGUMENT AFTER ANOTHER , & presence shared only ever threatened MORE---  jack respects gabriel to NO END , but isn’t met with the same , & for it there’s a lack of TRUST---as much as jack would internally INSIST that GABRIEL deserves the fancy title , fancy jacket , it’s HE who was chosen for STRIKE COMMANDER , & he’ll do all he’s capable of in order to meet & EXCEED the expectations laid upon him------ but that’s DIFFICULT when his companion’s don’t COOPERATE , hence continuous BLOW-UPS at each other .

        ---in the face of gabe’s grin , jack SCOWLS .

                               “ can’t take defeat without being an ASS about it , huh ?”

at where he’s got gabriel beneath him , jack exerts a little strength in order to give another minor PUSH against the ground---& following , he rises to his feet , swiping aside the sweat that collected along his brow ; once upon a time he’d have offered a hand to help the other up , but it’s here that he leaves reyes on the GROUND . there’s a SCOFF , & a shake of his head .

                   “ you know , it’s HUMBLING to accept your LOSS every once in a while. ”

---or simply COMPROMISE , he doesn’t say , swallowing the words ; though their spar had been mostly born of communicative irritations , jack would prefer to let the combat JUST BE THAT ; would like to keep the issues belonging to the STRIKE COMMANDER off the MAT , at where he can just fall into the combative expertise of SOLDIER: 76---

                                                “ maybe you should TRY IT sometime. ”

[otheroutlandertales]

Anonymous said: What was it like, in Voyager, for Brianna to decide to travel through the stones if Claire didn’t do it?

Part 1

Our Farewell - Part  2 / 2

by @monisse​

Roger froze at the door, quite involuntarily. Her question fell upon him like a rush of cold water, immobilizing his muscles and making it difficult to breathe, let alone for his heart to keep beating.

“To the stones, I mean.” Brianna elaborated further.

Even with his back turned to her, he could detect the faint pang of regret in her voice, and he wondered briefly if she had meant to ask if he would go through the stones with her. Blood started to flow in his body again, encouraged by the quickening of his heart.

Throughout the whole ordeal, from discovering the stones had otherworldly, time traveling properties, to learning Claire’s story, finding Jamie alive, and then realizing he too had the ability to go back in time, Roger had thought of the possibilities. He entertained the idea of running as fast as he could towards the tallest stone on Craigh na Dun, hoping not to slam against the hard surface, but to be transported to a reality he only knew from his studies. And in the first second after her question had floated unanswered in the space between them, he contemplated again leaving his life behind, the stuffy rooms and old books, and seeing history with his own eyes. There was a part of him that resisted the passive life of a professor. Being an observer of events instead of an active player had been the path of least resistance. There was nothing holding him here, in this time, and this life. He had no living kin and only a handful of friends to miss him. Besides, how could a historian deny the chance to see the past when it was only a touch on a stone away?

He turned around finally, and his eyes landed on her, sitting on the bed. Her face was stripped of the layers she always crafted so masterfully to conceal her thoughts. Her features were now soft, giving her a childlike air. Her vulnerability lay bare with no pretense whatsoever, trusting him wholeheartedly, and fear floated on the bottomless pool of her blue eyes, inviting him to dive in.

She looked small in her dark blue pajamas, despite the imposing six feet of height. Strands of red hair were loose from the long braid she wore over her shoulder, and he wanted nothing more than to brush them aside and allow the tips of his fingers to linger on the skin of her cheek.

“Will you see me off, at least?” she pressed, the gentle tone of her voice summoning him back to reality.

“Ye really are going through with it, aren’t you?”

She nodded. “It wouldn’t be forever. I just have to find Jamie, and then I’ll come back.”

If only it were that simple. But life had taught him, quite early and unexpectedly, that the most carefully laid plans had a way of going astray very fast, and often with severe consequences. Perhaps it was a byproduct of her young age, but naïveté was shining through the cracks of what she clearly thought was a reasonable plan.  

“It’s not like going on a vacation to the other side of the Atlantic, Bree.” Again, he felt the irresistible gravitation towards her, an invisible energy that seemed to magnetically control his body, and he moved to sit on the bed in front of her again.

“No, it’s not. But I’m a very capable woman, Roger. If Mama doesn’t go, I have to.”

He smiled at her confidence and strength, incredibly vivid in each word.

“I have no doubt in my mind that you can, but we’re talking about a time that was not kind to women, particularly those that travel alone. And God knows what those stones can do to a person.”

A single ruddy eyebrow suddenly lifted. “Has any time been kind to women?”

She said the words in jest, but they held a truth known, and shared, by every woman, one he could not deny. “Ach, no. But still, I can’t let ye go…”

“Roger,” she said, with finality in her voice that gave no space for further argument.

He could sit there all night, list all the possible dangers she might face, and even then, he knew Brianna would not budge; her decision had been made. To an extent, he admired that side of her, impulsive and stubborn to a fault, but determined nonetheless. Roger already knew she would always carry out her will, one way or another, and that it would, more often than not, be useless to oppose her. With an aching heart, he silenced all his arguments, and resigned himself to her choice.

His hand covered hers on top of the blanket, and he gently laced their fingers together. “I’ll take ye to the stones, if that’s what ye decide to do. The least I can do is to be there beside ye if you go.”

“Thank you.” She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek, brief and sweet, catching him by surprise.

“Claire will leave early in the morning,” he said as an afterthought.

Her eyes opened wide, and a sudden flash of hurt crossed through dark blue, as she realized that her mother would leave earlier than expected, to avoid the hurtful goodbye that neither mother, nor daughter, were truly ready for.

Brianna pulled her hand away from his, crossed the bed on hands and knees to the other side, and leaned over to retrieve something from under the bed. Her arse was suddenly pointing slightly upwards, round and incredibly tempting.  He clutched his fingers together in his lap, least an errant hand took on a life of its own and he made a fool of himself.

Once she came back up again, her hands were holding what appeared to be a dress in 18th century fashion, of the most horrific green lime color he had ever seen. It even had stones, shining disturbingly all over the front, and far too unnatural for today’s standards, let alone for Georgian era fashion.

She had a guilty look on her face, and he immediately realized she had been planning it for a while, without telling either him or her mother. Her premeditation disconcerted him slightly. Roger stared at the dress, briefly imagining Brianna, too tall even for today’s standards, and attracting both curious and unwanted attention in the past.

As selfish as it was, he hoped he could count on Claire going through the stones herself so Brianna would not have to. Roger did not feel ashamed by the thought, for it was only a natural yearning, growing stronger by the day, to want to protect her, to take care of her.

He sighed and rose from the bed. At a loss for words, he simply leaned down, and this time, it was he who placed a lingering kiss upon her forehead. “We better be ready before sunrise. If anything, at least ye’ll have a proper farewell.”

–”–

Brianna felt a sort of nervous energy coursing through her veins as her feet moved, quite reluctantly, up the hill. The laces on the bodice she wore were pulled tightly, noticing it too late, and her breaths became increasingly shallow, while her heart beat strongly to be free of such a tight cage. Roger was beside her, a constant reassuring presence ever since they had met, and her hand found his easily, as if he were already expecting it. They reached the circle of stones together, and were immediately hit by the echoes of the past, present, and future, blending together in an incomprehensible, haunting call from within.  

She took one step forward, and then another, Roger following her stride, until they reached the central stone and stopped. The buzzing was overwhelming, and even with the nauseating feeling rising in her stomach, she still had the presence of mind to hold onto both his hands with a strength that forced him to stand his ground. His face had gone pale, and she knew he was fighting the same impulse. Brianna stood there for a brief moment, wondering if she just moved forward and crossed the cleft in the middle of the stone, would she be able to let go of his hand, or would she pull him to the past with her?

Footsteps caught her attention and she turned towards the sound. Her mother was coming up the hill, already speechless and astonished to see her there. And Brianna knew with certainty that before the sun completely rose above the horizon, one of two things would happen: either she’d lose her mother to the past forever, or she’d make the leap herself. Roger suddenly tightened his grip, sensing her on the cusp of a decision. Their eyes locked and she nodded. Not yet, she thought. There was still a little time.  

[the-nysh]

Whats your opinon of kiri//baku and todo//deku?

!!!!! 👀 Oooh, *takes deep breath* so I’ve finally been askedthe big question. (Thank you for courteously using the /s to block the ship names out of the tags) Because I DO have opinionsabout them. I’ve mostly kept them to myself, but since I’ve been prompted, Iwill try to be as honest and thorough as I can. :’)

Disclaimer: If you high-key shipeither of the two, please proceed with caution! 

To preface:

If it wasn’t already obvious from the content I reblog (and rave about in thetags), my decisive fav character of the series is Kacchan, and similarly, my otp of the series is with him and Deku(as bakudeku, aka bkdk for short – which is how it’scommonly called on twitter). So going in, that’s my given stance already.

But it wasn’t always this way! :O When I first started theseries I went in pretty cautious, wary, and undecided; I actually never plannedto fall so hard for either the character or the ship (and I rarely ship things tobegin with). That is, until Hori repeatedly bludgeoned me in the face and heartwith all the reoccurring and carefully consistent character development, to thepoint ch120 became the final, decisive nail in the coffin - the point of noreturn for me. :’3 So now, I’m fully invested in seeing how their story pulls through to the end, nomatter what it might become (it doesn’t even need to be shippy). With them thematically established as two sidesof the same coin – on opposite ends of the same spectrum of heroism – the twohalves of All Might who both win and rescue:I want to see how they push each other towards greatness and mature into a pairof the best heroes. It’s a long-term investment of hope and a case of slowburn positive development, in direct (and on purpose!) contrast to its rockyand strained foundations (they ARE immature and emotionally constipated teensafter all), but it’s all been carefully laid out through a steady path ofnarrative foreshadowing. Where the prospects at the end of that path – of mutualsupport, understanding, reconciliation, cooperation, teamwork, trust – arebeautiful and rewarding things that make their ongoing journey of growth worthit. So…for Hori to smash any original expectations I might have had, and makeme fall hard for something I never intended to happen, are examples of whatI consider GOOD writing.

After I realized this, I went and did my research. Which inmy case, is reading up on countless character/relationship meta and fanfics togauge how the fandom sees their potential too. So I am very aware of the multiple sides of existing arguments and the dramathat’s already happened in the fandom (from across both tumblr and twitter). Iknow the western fandom considerably favors kr/bk and td/dk (at least for now), BUT in the eastern fandom,it’s actually bkdk that’s more popular. Hmm, curious why that is?

One of the reasons is partly thanks to the widespread availabilityof fan mistranslations (FA group) that have greatly exaggerated certain characterizations(ie Kacchan), leading to fandom fearmongering and the perpetuation of stigmasagainst the canon development of certain relationships (ie bkdk), which in theoriginal text, were never nearly thatflanderized or as offensive in context to begin with. Include also, adifference in cultural expectations/values, and we get a prickly concoction ofmisunderstandings ready to brew. It’s a poor and unfortunate case of important subtleties/complexitiesgetting lost in translation, while the bad things are blown way out ofproportion, to the point the story’s original intent is sidelined, or worse, canonis deliberately obstructed by translators who already dislike seeing suchcontent (because it’s ‘not their ship’) – so they prevent and hurt othersfrom fully enjoying the progression of the series as the author intended. Peoplecan like what they like (that’s perfectly fine), but in all of my lurking, Ihave SEEN examples of these things (andworse) actively happen, and quite frankly, the spread of this blatant toxicityand compulsive collective ignorance sickens me. So, I choose not to getinvolved with it, and instead focus on the positive.

Because of my preference for meta and faithfulinterpretations of the text (making sure available translations are reliablefor analyzing, for instance), I’ve gathered enough information (andacknowledged enough counterarguments) to make an educated decision for myself onwhat I value most and want to see from the series. Unless Hori veers offotherwise, I’ll stick by that conclusion and enjoy following the series throughto fruition (regardless of what the rest of the opposing fandom might say).

For example, one of the first dedicated and respectful metawriters – back when only the FA scans were available, but who ALSO providedcorrections from the Japanese text where necessary, came to this conclusionabout Deku and Kacchan’s characterizations:  

From ryokure:

“Deku is such a super special case that if a fanfichas him and Kacchan in it - no matter the parings - and they don’t have somecase of mutual obsession, I actually consider that OOC.”

Which, after everything I’ve seen of the characters, I can fully concur withthat statement.

MEANING, if the fandom portrays them off alone, together, or involvedin relationships with other characters and they lack this intrinsic magnetism that binds them together (for betteror worse) – if they can somehowfunction completely normal without being influenced by the presence of anotherand magically not even care about each other anymore, then my suspension of disbeliefbreaks. They’re too OOC. (Unless it’s a fic au where they never met or grew uptogether.) These two are TOO canonically wrapped up in their mutual complexesto simply cut ties, wrap up all their unresolved issues with a band-aid,and essentially ignore a core issue of the series for the sake of ‘shipconvenience’ with others. Their canon relationship is too complex to make such simplifiedportrayals of them believable, or even such flimsy ‘solutions’ for their issuesfeasible. Thankfully, we have Hori actively doing all the hard work for us sowe don’t have to worry about such transgressions like that happening in canon. (InHori’s consistent characterizations we trust!)  

Now then, with all of THISestablished, I can finally answer your main question: my opinion on kiri/bakuand todo/deku.

Let’s start with todo/deku:

Because believe it or not, when I was still new to the fandom and in my earlyresearch stages, I actually lowkey shipped them and read plenty of fics aboutthem too! I was open to them as a pair, but still undecided and wary because I didn’t know who to ship withDeku: either Todoroki or Bakugou. I saw all the widespread (western) fandomcontent for td/dk, with the apparent foundations for the ship based on eventsfrom the Sports Festival, where Deku ‘saves’ Todoroki and acts as the catalystto allow him to defrost his issues with his father and realize his true power.I thought, ‘ooh there’s something interesting in there worth looking forwardto; I’ll keep an eye on how canon develops their relationship from here.’

Unfortunately…canon didn’t give me anything else substantial to build on. Andin my case, those are foundations I NEED to be fully on board and convinced fora ship. It was the equivalent of fandom hyping me up for something to lookforward to, with me sitting there with a huge smile and my arms raised inanticipation…only for the rest of the manga to leave me dry. It was a hugedisappointment. Because except for a few scattered incidents, like from theStain arc and maybe the recent ‘it’s ok for heroes to cry sometimes too’moment, canon progress for their relationship has been severely underwhelmingand virtually nonexistent. Todoroki has chilled into becoming a supportive (yetstill socially awkward) friend for Deku yes, but even Iida has had more canon incidents of concern for Deku’s wellbeing,and challenges Deku into becoming a better person/hero with their interactions.(And yet, fandom support for Deku and Iida is virtually nonexistent incomparison, because their friendship resembles the camaraderie between bros, Iguess??)    

So then I was like, ‘wait, am I missing something here? WHY does the fandomlove td/dk so much, when their canon interactions are so limited, and the onlybig thing that’s happened between them was all the way back in the SportsFestival??’ So, I went and investigated the potential of their relationshipfurther in fanfics (which are quite numerous and popular on a03 I might add).

After taking a look, I began to see trends. Most td/dk fics are heavily skewed in Todoroki’s favor, tothe point of being practically one-sided in character development. The mainconflict in almost all their ficnarratives revolves around solving Todoroki’s issues with his father and comingto terms with HIS powers, leaving Deku as a passive, supporting participant inhelping Todoroki out with his problems. Which, while the two of them could bondtogether over their missing/difficult father issues, after a while this same familyconflict gets old and stale. What else is there? What about Deku’s problems for equality’s sake?He’s the main protagonist! How abouthis difficulties in learning how to make One for All his own too? Ah nope, hecan’t canonically confide in Todorokiabout the secrets of his quirk, now can he. ;) Oh wait. What about his problems with Bakugou? Is the biggest elephant in the room going to be ignored for the sakeof typical couple melodrama, or is my fav character going to be demonized so that Todoroki, the ‘prince’on a white horse, can ‘save’ Deku, the ‘damsel’ in distress, from him?! No way. And THAT is another hugeproblem I have with the ship.

Because in all the fics I’ve read of them, I never once was convinced ofDeku’s feelings for Todoroki. I can understand Todoroki gaining a passing crushon Deku thanks to their fight in the Sports Festival. But Deku? How does heeven fall for him? Just becauseTodoroki is nice and considerate and listens to him? Like a friend? (Deku has Uraraka and Iida forthat too, what makes Todoroki any more special than them in Deku’s life?) Thisties in to my previously mentioned suspension of disbelief and ooc territorynow. Because Deku is not some haplessdamsel in distress ready to be swept off his feet and easily charmed by somepotential suitor; he’s a BAMF with a heroic spirt that’s even feared byBakugou. And these traits are so rarely utilized to their full potential intd/dk fics - Todoroki’s influence rarely even challenges or inspires Deku toBECOME the best he can be to draw out his latent potential. (Iida’s canonicallydone more in that regard thanTodoroki’s ever done.) Again, it feels too one-sided in Todoroki’s favor toimprove as a better person/hero.

Oh yeah, and since Deku became one of Todoroki’s first ‘true friends,’ forTodoroki to fall for him feels like putting too many eggs in one basket,without giving Todoroki the chance tobranch out and make normal/healthy relationships with OTHERS first beforesettling down. He’s a socially awkward kid emotionally repressed by domesticabuse; for him to latch onto Deku, the ‘first’ person he’s finally (andliterally) warmed up to, feels like the budding symptoms of unhealthy copingmechanisms and compensating for Todoroki’s deeper emotional issues. Where it thenbecomes Deku’s ‘responsibility’ to care for the turnout of his wellbeing, whenNO - Deku’s got plenty of his OWN issues to become burdened with someone else’s on top of those. Plus in canon,Todoroki’s doing just fine and is perfectly capable of handling his personal problems onhis own without having to depend on Deku.

Again, it’s all touchy territory that feels like it sidelines the mainintent of the series itself – by branching off into the deep end of Todoroki’sangst at the expense of Deku’s, or worse: simply wrapping everything up with afluffy bow called ‘the power of love.’ Nuh-uh, not only is that immenselyidealistic and unrealistic, but it’s totally not the kind of content I signedup for when I started the series. I’m frankly not interested in delving into thoseoff-tangent topics in opposition to canon, where Deku’s problems are oftensidelined, his characterization compromised, and my fav character (Kacchan) eitherbecomes an exaggerated, antagonizing impediment to their ship or is simplytreated like he doesn’t even exist. (My patience and willing suspension of disbeliefonly go so far.)

In the end, Todoroki’s a supportingcharacter. In a tertiary tier after the protagonist (Deku) and the deuteragonist(Bakugou). Yet in td/dk fics he’s almost always turned into a main protagonistsomehow. I can understand his appeal and why he’s so popular in the fandom, yes(and I like him too!), but there’s a point where this exposure becomes TOO much,the limit to his available canon issues becomes saturated and repetitive, and itultimately becomes so tiring to keepcoming back and addressing the same topics in fanon when canon has alreadymarched on to focus on more pressing issues. I’m more interested in exploring those other things.

So nowadays, whenever I see td/dk content, I go ‘ayy that’s nice (or cute),’and keep on scrolling. It doesn’t bother me, but it doesn’t interest meanymore either. I probably won’t touch anymore fics of them together either;I’ve seen and had enough. I’m actually more receptive to seeing Todorokiinteract and develop friendships with other characters, like Inasa (the wind guy from the rival school)or even Momo for instance. Either of those ships I see around, I’m cool withtoo.

The final line: I don’t ship them (anymore), because canon swayed me over with the more pressing and compelling developments of bkdk.   

NOW, it’s time to talk about kiri/baku:      

To start, I actually LOVE Kirishima as a character. And I’ve alreadyestablished upfront that my fav character in the series is Kacchan. So whatgives? It turns out their ship has neverbeen on my radar.

Kirishima is a great character, but I’ve only ever seen him as a supportive bro. To EVERYONE in their class. Whichis precisely how Hori designed him: to be a compassionate/empathetic nice guywho bridges the gaps between the class with his vigorous enthusiasm and support(same role that Denki shares, by the way). And he fulfils this role splendidly.But he ALSO has his own insecurities and developing friendships with manyothers in the class – Denki, Mina, and Deku included. All of those people areimportant to him (and I’m cool with all their ships with him too). Kirishimadoes not solely revolve aroundBakugou.  

It’s true that near the beginning of the series, Bakugou was an angry loner,Kirishima trailed after him on his own accord, and after seeing his version of‘manliness’, decided to stick by him and support him, because Kiri saw thepositives of his character that ‘no one’ else bothered to see. (NOT true; Dekuhas always seen and admired Kacchan’spositive traits since they were children.)And so what’s canonically established is a budding friendship where Kirishimafulfils his given role to bridge gaps (whenever Bakugou strays away from theclass), essentially working as a rubber band plot device, and as a secondperspective – aka a fresh lens, for the audience to view Bakugou’s positivequalities.

All of this I’m cool with. I actually enjoyseeing their canon interactions and the kind of fun, slapstick way they bounceoff each other. (I even like the concept of Dragon!Kiri too!) BUT, it’s whenfanon starts twisting their canon relationship into shippy territory, that’swhere things start getting…ugly, at least for me.  

Remember, I’ve always only seen Kirishima as a supportive bro, and I MEAN that. They have the samered eyes. The same style of spikey hair. The same pumped up mannerisms whenthey get going. Too many similarities that rub me the wrong way when put in aromantic context. (The only difference is that one of them is the soft-hearted ‘niceguy,’ and the other is the outwardly prickly ‘asshole.’) To me, to ship them feels like the equivalentof taking the parallel ends of two polarized magnets: you can manually forcethem close together, but in the end, they cannot touch because the same ends ofmagnets naturally repel. Now, flip one of those magnets around (aka turn it intoDeku), and boom, the opposite ends attract with explosive force. And THAT ishow bkdk feels to me in comparison.

However, the kr/bk fandom doesn’t stop there. I know there exists plenty of fics about them, but I’ve never read any, and frankly, I never will, not even for curiosity’ssake. Because from the overabundance of otherfandom content, I already know what their ship dynamic is about. And it doesnot appeal to me at all.

Remember how I said Kacchan is my favorite. I do not appreciate when thefandom warps him into either a demonized or castrated caricature of himself –aka when they turn him into someone he most definitely is NOT, all for the sakeof a ship. Or worse: when they use Kiri’s relationship as a means of changingBakugou into a character they findmore appealing. NO. Even more worse: when they treat Kiri’s whole character as awalking plot device for ALL of Bakugou’s positive character development. Fuckno! Kirishima doesn’t deserve this dehumanizing treatment by the fans, andneither does my fav, getting subjected to this…betrayal to his whole character.

What am I talking about? When fans insist that Kiri is the ONLY personBakugou can be ‘nice’ to, outright forsaking or ignoring the canon developmentseither of them have with other characters – what about Denki, the rest of the‘Bakusquad’? Or Deku? Remember my dislike for ignoring the elephant in the room back in my spiel about td/dk?Well here, it’s infinitely times worse.

Because Kiri does not become aconvenient narrative replacement to ‘solve’ all of Bakugou’s problems or themeans to correct his bad behavior. It’s not even Kiri’s business orresponsibility to do so! (Same deal if Uraraka is shipped in Kiri’s place.) Hispresence doesn’t challenge Bakugou’s current conduct or world views to improvehimself as a better person, OR actively affect his drive to become the best hero.At most, Kiri endures the brunt of Bakugou’s outbursts when they happen(because he can harden with his quirk, he can ‘take’ it, and their banterbecomes ‘humorous’ and ‘harmless’…no, it absolutely does not) and amicably slides off any further implications with a ‘heyman, that’s not cool’, or excuses/accepts it with a ‘it’s fine because he’s justbeing himself.’ Now we have a situation where Kiri becomes a passive ‘butt-monkey’to Bakugou’s whims and actually enableshis unacceptable behavior to persist. And Bakugou somehow becomes fully invested in a single confidant who babies andpicks up after him (how the heck? no way would he allow himself to get ropedinto a relationship like that, if any at all. He’s strong and independent enoughto handle himself fine.). Even when it’s portrayed where Kiri is the ‘only’ oneBakugou’s nice to, they’d exist in a vacuum tunnel, sealed off from the influenceof others, and become a spiraling fester-hole of static development. None ofthese prospects are the ‘healthy’ long-term results that fandom seems to claimthey are. Tell me, if Bakugou was reallyan abusive character, would his behavior magically ‘fix’ itself simply thanksto Kiri’s passive influence or ‘the power of his understanding kindness and love’?The answer is a resounding and definite NO. The only person who can canonically stand up to Bakugou’s behavior (andnot brush it off), fundamentally challengehis world views and complexes, match him in equal and opposite intensity with themutual drive to be the best, and receivethe full extent of his turbulent feelings, is Deku.

This is what I’m referring to when I say fandom often ‘ignores the elephantin the room,’ because THIS (Deku and Kacchan’s relationship) is an established,ongoing and important core issue of the series itself, that many shippers wouldrather sideline for the priority, current gratification, and fluffy convenienceof an opposing ship. Aka, simply slap them together with the first nice friend theymeet (in both Todo and Baku’s cases, it’s the ‘too many eggs in one basket’problem again…), who will solve all their problems and work to ‘change’ theminto better people…somehow? No, that’s the case of unrealistic, wishful thinking bad writing andtaking the easy way out when something -the elephant in the room- is too challengingand complex to tackle head on. Thankfully, Hori IS tackling their story head onas purposely intended, so I don’t have to worry about canon jumping the sharkon the progress of their relationship.  

So, instead of Kiri being shipped with Bakugou, I much prefer him as a supportingcharacter (a supportive bro!!) who helps ease Bakugou into social/emotionalsituations that he’d normally avoid (which is how Hori originally designedhim??? to bridge those gaps -aka Bakugou’s loner distance - in the class) I’veread plenty of bkdk fics where Kiri becomes the mvp BECAUSE of his natural abilityto do this! With him as a much-needed wingman, voice of empathetic reason, and trustedsecond opinion who Bakugou can confide in to help confront his chronicemotional constipation over Deku. Shipperscan claim that Kiri helps Baku come to terms and become receptive to ‘softer,’ affectionatefeelings when they’re together, when it’s actually the opposite: Kiri becomes astepping stone for Bakugou to learn how to ‘make friends’ with other people whenthey’re apart. ‘Other people’ meaning: Denki, the ‘squad’, Todoroki, the restof the class…and most importantly, Deku.Let my son -Kacchan- learn how to form healthy, genuine relationships withpeople again, so he can gain the necessary experience and maturity to reproach hislifelong treatment of Deku and decide to patch up their relationship on his own terms. This, I feel, is a much more satisfyingoutcome and effective use of Kiri’s character, both in his involvement withBakugou and for the long-run benefit of the series itself.

But instead of seeing it this way, much of the (western) fandom overexaggerates the importance of Kiri and Baku’s relationship, to the point it notonly overshadows the content of other ships, but obfuscates the actual translated GEN contentof canon itself. (WHY!?!) I’m not even going to touch the propensity, hypocrisy, and irony of their shippers to harassand bully others for their opposing shipping preferences (that’s a whole other can of worms). Overall,it’s gotten so bad and obnoxiously rampant that I’ve been forced to block the ship tag for my own sanity and enjoyment of theseries. The ONLY time it’s ever beenrequired for me to use the blacklist function here, and that’s saying something.

Therefore: I support their friendship as supportive bros, but kr/bk as a ship was never on myradar. I’ve never shipped it, and I will notbecome interested in their potential as a pair. I used to be ok with seeing fan content of them around…until thefandom essentially and unfortunately soured it into a notp for me. Welp!   

And there we have it, my full opinion on both ships. I hope that satiatesanyone’s curiosity on the matter, as so far I’ve had plenty of personal reasonsto stay in my own lane and only show my avid support for bkdk. This I’ve confidently decided and I will continue todo so, for as long as I’m invested in the series.  

For some further reading and similar informed opinions:  

http://explodo-smash.tumblr.com/post/165154054112/not-to-pit-ships-against-one-another-but-i

http://explodo-smash.tumblr.com/post/163895267877/why-do-you-ship-bakugou-and-deku-if-its-abusive

http://tinyshinysylveon.tumblr.com/post/168731953134

https://punkbakugo.tumblr.com/post/170514358890/do-you-think-that-the-fandom-over-exaggerates

Also related: my opinions about Kac/chako. And Izu/Ocha.

Edit: now cross-posted on a03

[theory-witch-ferlu]

From White to Pink to Rose, a theory on the development of empathy and free will among the Gems

So isn’t it weird how Pink Diamond is small and acts like a child in Stranded? Aren’t Gems supposed to pop out of the ground fully formed and completely mature? Well here’s a a theory: Pink, being the youngest of the diamonds, was the first to be allowed to develop instead of being born fully-formed and with an already assigned task. That is why she was given no colonies and had a smaller form and more immature personality than Yellow. Amethyst shows that this is possible. Since she was born after the war and had no contact with Homeworld authority structures until found by Pearl and Garnet, she developed gradually, from a small childish form to her current one.

Maybe Pink was similar: maybe White Diamond created her and kept her away from leadership positions and with no colonies of her own so that she could develop gradually and thus achieve unplanned feats. We know Rose Quartzes seem to have empathic abilities of some sort (dream sharing, healing, etc); we also know that unrestricted living seems to have an effect on Gems’ emotional structures (Peridot becoming more creative, Rose becoming a Rebel, Garnet existing at all). Furthermore, Pink is the first of the Diamonds to have a navel Gem instead of a Head or Chest one. So maybe Pink was the Diamonds’ experiment into developing Gems with innovative emotional capabilities that allowed them to perform new, specific tasks (remember Eyeball Ruby? she said healing was unique to Rose) requiring creative thinking and emotional complexity beyond the mere following of orders. Maybe  Rose Quartzes were created with empathic abilities by a more mature Pink Diamond than the one we saw in this episode so that they could take care of humans in Pink’s zoo.

Which brings me to another pet theory of mine: Gems had a hand in the creation of humanity. Unlike other gems, Pearls are not created through geological processes, but organically within oysters. Maybe Pearls were created later than other sorts of Gems by cultivating oysters and simila organisms in colonies, which would also explain their status as commodities at the service of other Gems.

So maybe the Diamonds guided evolution on Earth and promoted the rise of humans for some yet unknown purpose. Maybe our skillful hands were useful to cut new kinds of gems or something.

Now here my theory gets more out there. We know Pink liked humans more than the other Diamonds did, since her zoo seemed to be a pet project. So maybe White and/or the others wanted humanity for Gem creation but Pink fell in love with humans and wanted them to simply live happy lives instead. But then along came Rose Quartz, who saw that not only were humans beautiful organisms worthy of preservation, but that their greatest value laid in their capacity for free will, which the Zoo suppressed. Maybe that was the source of her confrontation with Pink, and the Reason she shattered her. Now i know, after Wanted it seems that maybe Pink was shattered by the Diamons, but i’m still rooting for that to be a red herring since it would preserve the complexity in Rose’s character that the shattering gives her. If it’s not, maybe the Diamonds shattered Pink because Rose was beginning to convince her of the importance of free-will, thus creating a risk of rebellion; a rebel Diamond was too great a risk.

Now maybe Pink wasn’t the first experimental Diamond. We see white has a head gem, while Yellow and Blue have theirs in the chest and are very emotional in their own ways. So maybe White, the cerebral schemer, created them so they could do things she could not: Yellow’s intense ambition made her a good leader of armies while Blue’s melancholy helped keep a sobering realism (hence Sapphires’ pessimistic-leaning future sight) and reign in Yellow’s forwardness. the fact that both Yellow and Blue have the same gem position but in different colors indicated that maybe they were created at the same time by White, as a sort of yin-yang. Maybe like Pink they were also somewhat allowed to develop before getting their own colonies, thus also gradually aquiring their distinct leadership styles.

So, a tentative timeline of the evolution of Gem emotions and free will could look something like this:

White Diamond is the first gem leader. Her colorless gem placed on her head indicated her status as first-born and master planner.

WD creates Blue and Yellow. Their primary-colored gems placed on the chest indicate their status as the first of White’s creations and their relatively more developed emotional sides, one leaning towards ambition, action and expansion, the other towards melancholy, passivity and reflection. We can think of Blue and Yellow as the first Gem dreamers, as opposed to merely planners.

Sapphires are created in Blue’s court. The melancholy signified in their blue gems allows them to foresee the future. Maybe it is around this time that Pearls begin to be developed. Although it’s impossible to know whose idea they were, it is safe to assume it was either Yellow or Blue’s, since their purpose is more aesthetic than functional (emotional capacity begets desire for beauty for its own sake).

Pink Diamond is created. Her gem is not a primary color and is placed on her navel, indicating her status as a third generation of diamond and even more emotional nature. She is allowed to develop outside of the power structures of Gem society before being given colonies. After getting her colonies, humans begin to exist at some point and PD sees the beauty of organic life beyond mere utilitarian purposes, and creates the Zoo for their preservation. Pink Diamond can thus be thought of as the first Gem ecological activist.

Rose Quartzes are created to act as Zookeepers.If we remember the Zoo episodes, the magic earrings seemed to have telepathic abilities and not be just communication devices, since during the choosening they seemed to choosen partners based on the subjects desires (thus making sure they’re satisfied with their choosen partners ).  Maybe Rose Quartzes’ empathic abilities allow them be more efficient than the magic earrings at determining human needs and desires. Now it could be that the earrings were implemented to replace the bubbled Quartzes as Zookeepers.

Rose Quartz discovers the importance of free will, thus causing her to rebel against the Diamonds and shatter or try to radicalize Pink. Rose Quartz was thus the first Gem anarchist.

Garnet is created from the fusion of Ruby and Sapphire. She is the first love fusion. The union of different gems gives her an unprecedented freedom of will for Gem society. The radical freedom  and unprecedented capacity for empathy brought about by this (without empathy, two different gems wouldn’t be able to sync with each other to the point of fusion) is indicated by her multi-path future sight.

Steven is born from the union of Rose and Greg, the first union of Gem and organic lifeform. If we go by Gem standards, where gemstone=self, this makes Rose the first Gem to truly transform herself and completely escape the constraints of Gem biology. Steven is the first Gem-human hybrid, and the most radically free and empathic organism in his universe, since he also escapes the restraints of human biology with his shapeshifting abilities and magic life-giving spit.

So yeah. tl;dr: the history of Gem society is the history of gradually increasing empathy and free will.